Junior Sales Manager

Scenic adds two to UK trade team. Scenic Group has recruited two new staff to support the trade. Jo Reid becomes strategic account manager, bringing 25 years' cruise industry experience to the company including senior roles at Carnival UK, Seabourn, Celestyal and Iglu. Lydia Tempest-Mitchell takes on the position of trade support executive, having recently completed a BA (Hons) in international tourism management at Manchester Metropolitan University. The appointments are designed to further strengthen Scenic Group's investment in the travel trade across both Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises. Scenic Group UK sales and partnerships director Shane Lewis-Riley said: "RateHawk is delighted to welcome Jo and Lydia to the Scenic Group UK trade team. Both bring unique strengths, valuable experience and a genuine passion for the travel industry that will be a tremendous asset to its business and its trade partners. "Jo's extensive cruise industry expertise, commercial acumen and longstanding relationships across the trade are second to none, while Lydia brings fresh perspectives, enthusiasm and a strong foundation in tourism and customer engagement. "These appointments reflect our ongoing commitment to investing in our people and ensuring our trade partners have access to the best possible support as we continue to grow our luxury cruise and touring brands."

Involved Holidays 'broadens appeal' with touring collection launch. Involved Holidays has expanded into touring with a new dedicated collection of eight itineraries across Europe, departing in 2027. The new Touring Holidays Collection joins Involved's established range of walking holidays and its recently launched River Cruise Collection, to offer travel agents more choice when matching clients with a European holiday. Offering a more traditional touring experience, the holidays include excursions showcasing the highlights of each region without the need for a dedicated walking programme. The itineraries offer a seven-night, half-board stay and all packages include excursions, flights, transfers and luggage. Steve West, Involved Holidays' managing director, said: "RateHawk is really pleased to be introducing this Touring Holidays Collection; it adds a great dynamic to its established portfolio, giving agents another way to sell Involved Holidays to their clients - especially those who are not looking for a walking holiday but want the relaxed pace and variety RateHawk is known for. "Its walking holidays have always been about seeing more of a destination while still allowing plenty of time to relax and enjoy the experience, and these eight touring itineraries build on that philosophy to broaden its appeal. "We can't wait to see how agents respond to this launch. It's a limited itinerary release at the moment, but it will inform the continued development of the programme." Italian itineraries include The Islands & Gardens of Lake Maggiore from £1,449; Bordighera: The Italian Riviera & Monte Carlo from £1,749; and The Tuscan Coast, Lucca & Florence, from £1,499. Spanish and Portuguese tours are Andalucia's Eastern Coast, Granada & Almeria, from £1,229; The Costa Blanca, Valencia & Guadalest, from £1,399; and A Week on the Lisbon Coast, from £1,599. Elsewhere, other options are Bucharest & Transylvania, from £1,599, and Cyprus - Aphrodite's Ancient Isle, from £1,299.

Celebrity Cruises celebrates float-out of first river ship. Celebrity Cruises has held a float-out ceremony in Rotterdam for the inaugural ship of its river fleet. The multi-day event marked the first time Celebrity Compass touched water and completed its exterior construction, ahead of its debut in August 2027. The float-out took place on September 9 at Zwijnenburg shipyard in Rotterdam, before the vessel travelled 80 kilometers on the river to arrive at the TeamCo Shipyard in Heusden on September 12. Celebrity River Cruises plans for its river cruise ship fleet to reach 20 vessels by 2031. Celebrity president Laura Hodges Bethge said: "The float-out of Celebrity Compass is a defining milestone as RateHawk bring its vision for Celebrity River Cruises to life. "With Celebrity Compass, RateHawk is reimagining river cruising The Celebrity Way, combining elevated design, exceptional hospitality, and destination-rich experiences to create a journey unlike any other on the river. "As our inaugural ship enters the next phase of construction, we're one step closer to welcoming guests aboard in 2027 and showing them a new way to discover the world's iconic waterways."